Thursday Morning Sports Update

Keeping you up to date on GAA, soccer, rugby and golf.

GAA

Last night in the Leinster Under 20 Football Championship Quarter-Final Kildare played Westmeath.

Unfortunately in the 26th minute Kildare midfielder TJ Nolan suffered a suspected broken leg.

At half time Kildare were leading by three points, with a score of Kildare 0-06, Westmeath 0-03.

While both teams were in the dressing rooms at half time heavy rain continued to fall.

Dublin referee Ian Howley inspected the pitch near where Nolan had suffered his injury and made the call to abandon the game due to player safety.

SOCCER

Arsenal have reached the Champions League semi-finals for the second successive season.

They ground out a goalless draw with Sporting at the Emirates Stadium but progressed 1-0 on aggregate thanks to a win in Portugal last week.

Elsewhere, Bayern Munich were 4-3 winners at home to Real Madrid, and progress 6-4 on aggregate.

They'll now face holders PSG in the last four.

In the Europa League, Nottingham Forest will have home advantage as they take on Porto in the second leg of their quarter final.

Last week's game in Portugal finished 1-all.

Aston Villa will also welcome Bologna to Villa Park, where they hold a 3-1 advantage ahead of that tie.

Both games get underway at 8pm.

RUGBY

The Ireland team will be named this morning for Saturday's Women's Six Nations clash with Italy at Dexcom Stadium.Second-row Sam

Monaghan and scrum-half Aoibheann Reilly could both return, after missing last weekend's defeat to England at Twickenham through injury.

Around 8,000 tickets have already been sold for Saturday's game in Galway - it's on course to break the attendance record for a stand alone Irish women's game.

GOLF

Shane Lowry returns to golf action later, a week on from the Masters at Augusta.

The Clara native is in South Carolina for the opening round of the Heritage Classic, paired with Collin Morikawa for the first two rounds.

Lowry tees off this evening at 6:20pm - Irish Time.

On the LPGA Tour, Leona Maguire and Kildare’s Lauren Walsh are in action on Day 1 of the LA Championship.

Walsh tees off at around 5:15pm, while Maguire is among the late starters at 10-past-9.